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Post-op day 3....

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I am amazed! I have never known a TKR patient able to get by with Tylenol after less than a week. You must have an incredibly high pain threshold!

I have moved your new post into your recovery thread. We usually encourage people to keep posts about their recovery in one thread so I can check back on what's gone before should the need arise.
 
Thanks for moving my post.

I do have a fairly high pain tolerance (I pushed out a 9.10 baby without pain medication). This hip has been so much easier than my knees. My biggest pain/discomfort complaint really is my back and I think that is due to the LLD. I will probably still take Norco at bedtime to help me sleep, but Tylenol proved to be adequate today. I'm just feeling so dang good - I can't stop smiling!

With my knee replacements I stayed on the rx meds a bit longer, mainly prior to PT appointments.
 
Idaho Mom,
I am very impressed with your recovery so far, but want to encourage you to take all the relief you can get at this stage. I came home from a revision last November not having to take anything, but I'm a believer in taking comfort through this process.
I worried about leg descepancy for sometime. The OS was quick to point out a difference (cryptically doing measurements on the x-rays) and a PT threw me a heel lift like giving a dog a bone. I would turn out the lights and then turn them on quickly just to see if a leg was inching up or one was inching down. :scratch: But the legs seem to have "evened out" in time.
This is all to say not to worry too much. Like for so many of us, time has its own revelations.
It's great that you are traipsing around with a cane at this point.
Again, I am very impressed.
Best wishes for you,
Jim :thumb:
 
Idahomom said:
I do have a fairly high pain tolerance (I pushed out a 9.10 baby without pain medication).
Click to expand...
[Bonesmart.org] Post-op day 3....
 
10 days post-op now. and I'm kind of in a holding pattern - I still feel pretty good, but not making noticable daily improvement. Is it normal for my groin to feel so tight? When I try to take a longer stride my groin on the operative side is very tight. Otherwise my bum is getting very itchy and I'm just a bit sore still. I'm able to raise my leg in and out of bed without problem now. I had been using the hook of my cane to help lift my leg the first week. My post-op appointment is Monday.
 
Julie - Did you experience the tight groin I described? I assume it's normal. The doctor didn't tell me to do any types of exercises/stretching yet so I haven't pushed anything.
 
No I didn't really have a tight groin pain. Have you had any home PT yet? You seem to being doing great all and all with everything. I had home PT come out in the first week home. I know all docs are different and then also with if you are weight bearing or not. I was full weight bearing from the start.
 
No PT was ordered. The doc said if my gait was fine on day 1-2 then PT would not be needed. Weight bearing as tolerated. I used a walker for the first few days and now have been using a cane.
 
Did you have Anterior Approach? When I saw how well you were doing from walker right to cane in a few days I was so amazed. How is your gait? I think my gait wasn't good and still isn't because of my knees, as you know from my knee posts that I have started. I know a lot of folks don't see a need for PT, but I found it very beneficial. Not as much the home PT but the outpatient PT. How are you with straight leg raises when laying in bed?
 
I had a posterior approach - more towards my buttock. I can do straight leg raises. My gait feels good other than having a leg length discrepancy. I also don't feel like I'm straightening up as much on the operative side due to the tight groin. I'll find more on Monday at my post-op as to whether this is normal in the healing process. Who knows - Monday my doctor may order a little bit of PT. I'm fine with it, but unless he orders it my insurance won't pay for it. After 12 weeks of therapy for my knees I wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't have to go though either.
 
Great, something I have to look forward to, right? I know it's a lot more for the knees. I still think you are soooo early on that everything you are feeling is so normal and you are doing SO great !! For a posterior approach and doing leg raises and walking with cane, you go girl !!

I think your OS will be very well pleased on Monday. Will be waiting to hear how it goes for you.
 
Idahomom said:
I had a posterior approach - more towards my buttock. I can do straight leg raises. My gait feels good other than having a leg length discrepancy. I also don't feel like I'm straightening up as much on the operative side due to the tight groin. I'll find more on Monday at my post-op as to whether this is normal in the healing process. Who knows - Monday my doctor may order a little bit of PT. I'm fine with it, but unless he orders it my insurance won't pay for it. After 12 weeks of therapy for my knees I wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't have to go though either.
Click to expand...

Hi Idaho Mom,

I also had the groin tightness and attributed it to the healing that takes place of the hip capsule and post-surgical swelling. I read one of the informative posts that Jo has written on the layers of closing during hip surgery and it helped make sense of what was going on for me.

Early on I felt more of the LLD and was also not straightening up at the hip all the way either. Mine settled down very gradually over the next few weeks as it seemed to be internal swelling as well as swelling of all those muscles that had been aggravated by the retractors during surgery. Icing also helped, especially at the incision spot where the fascia was tight and a bit swollen as it was healing. Do you take any anti-inflammatory medication? You might want to ask about that when you see your OS -- especially if you are going to get some PT.

I have been doing outpatient PT for about a month now and I really like it, especially when I can see some progress in my gait and range of motion! When I had home PT the therapist used to mention that knee patients had a bit more painful regime of PT for their replacements than the hip patients have -- don't know if this is true.

Sure sounds like you are doing great! I hope your appointment with the OS goes well and I bet he'll be impressed with your progress.

Take care,
Cardie
 
Idahomom, you are very early out and all that you are describing is totally normal. You will have what you feel are plateaus in your recovery. But if you keep a diary or even use this site to track your progress you will see there is continuing improvement.

Sounds like you are doing very well!
 
Hello Idahomom, I'm new to this site and it's so good to hear that you are doing so well. I'm having a TLHR on 11/7 and have been listening to people on this site and all their encouragement. Did I understand you correctly that you had surgery on 10/11? That is awsome!! I hope my recovery is like yours. Do you still feel like your making progress? Any setbacks or words of advice now that your on the "other side" would be great help. Thanks Stan
 
Stan - Yes, my surgery was on October 11, 2011. I do not feel like I'm having any setbacks. Over the first few days it seemed like I made big improvements each day, but now I'm just hanging at the same point. I still feel really good though. Daily activities have become much more easier as I learn new maneuvers to do them. Compared to my knee replacements this past summer, this hip is very easy so far. Don't be afraid Stan - I was so scared and dreading another surgery, but like I said, compared to the knee replacements, this was much easier with much less pain.

C Mac - No, I'm not taking anti-inflammatories right now because I'm on blood thinners for 4 weeks. I will say that I feel much better when I take the Norco, but I'm trying to only take that at night and use Tylenol during the day which works well enough. I'm glad to hear that the tightness I'm feeling is to be expected. I haven't been given any instructions to do any certain stretching or PT yet so I've just been taking it easy right now. My OS said he typically doesn't order PT for hip patients unless they have gait issues.
 
It's not 'tightness', it's post-op pain, Idaho. How much Tylenol do you take at a time? How many mgs?
 
Jo - My doctor said I could take 2 Extra Strength Tylenol (500-mg each) up to 4 times per day. I've been taking 2 in the morning and 2 in the late afternoon. Then at bedtime (around 10:00) I take one 10-mg Hydrodocone and another around 3:00 a.m.
 
Sounds like we are having similar recoveries. I have moved on to extra strength tylenol. I am still icing though. I was approved for out patient PT, but I am having gait issues,mostly because I waited so long. I do think walking is the best though, at least for me. Keep up the great recovery!
 
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